San Antonio Spurs: 3 reasons Kawhi Leonard should sign the supermax
With free agency winding down, the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard are the leading providers of offseason drama. Having just become eligible for a supermax contract, he should strongly consider a possible Spurs offer.
Free agents have come and gone, remaining with old teams or signing with new ones. LeBron James, Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins have contributed to this historic offseason. The biggest saga of them all, however, is the constantly evolving drama between the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard.
Rumors about Leonard landing spots have circulated from Boston to Philadelphia to both Los Angeles teams to, most recently, Toronto. Yet, the former Defensive Player of the Year remains a Spur.
Why hasn’t Leonard been shipped off to another team yet? The Spurs are not in any rush to move their superstar. It appears as though the 76ers, Celtics and Lakers have been reluctant to include prospects such as Markelle Fultz, Jaylen Brown, and Brandon Ingram in any deal. As the season begins and the trade deadline encroaches, expect offers to be upped.
Until then, there are more pressing questions to address. Kawhi Leonard just became eligible for the supermax contract. Will the Spurs offer him this contract? Would Leonard accept it? What could this possibly mean for Leonard’s bank account? ESPN‘s Bobby Marks delineated the financial workings of the contract.
Here is what a super max extension would look like for Kawhi Leonard this summer:
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 31, 2018
19/20 $37.8M
20/21 $40.8M
21/22 $43.8M
22/23 $46.9M
23/24 $49.9M
The numbers certainly jump out at you.
Hang up the call to your optometrist. You saw that last figure correctly. With a deal that large, Kawhi Leonard may rethink leaving Texas. In fact, if the San Antonio Spurs extend this offer, I can give you three reasons he should consider remaining with them.